Pedestrian&#39;s walking stick



' 23, 1940. F. R. HARTY PEDESTRIANS WALKING STICK Filed Nov. 6, 1937 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PEDESTRIANS WALKING STICK Florence It. Harty, Brookline, Mass.

Application November 6, 1937, Serial No. 173,224

2 Claims.

My invention relates-to a protective signal walking stick and the like and it has for its object to provide an efficient portable device of this class which is especially adapted to be 5 employed as an automobile accessory but which will also be useful to pedestrians crossing or traveling on roadways during the night time.

To these ends I have provided a device of the character indicated constructed and operated as 10 set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being separately pointed out and defined in the claims at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is an elevation of a walking stick or cane constructed in accordance with my invention.

- Figure 2 is an explanatory detail showing the lower portion of the stick or cane illustrated in M Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a face view of one of the prismatic reflectors hereinafter referred to.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. l.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention I0 formed at its upper end with'a laterally extending curved handle II. This stick or cane so shaped may be conveniently formed from a single piece of metal tubing and a distinguishing feature of the invention is that the shaft in is studded with a plurality or multiplicity of prismatic reflectors R and Y. As shown in Fig. 3 each reflector comprises a metal base in the form of a cup l2 within which a glass prism I3 is securely fastened in the usual manner as by bending inwardly the rim of the cup base I2.

The prisms 13 may be of any suitable color, but for protective purposes the prisms R are made of red glass so as to reflect red light rays. I may, and preferably do, employ reflectors Y having yellow prisms which are alternated throughout the length of the shaft III with the reflectors R.

As herein illustrated the reflectors are arranged in pairs with the two reflectors of each pair disposed upon opposite sides of the shaft I0 and as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings one of the reflectors is made with an interiorly threaded tubular stem l4 occupying a hole l5 formed in the wall of the shaft Ill and occupied by an exteriorly threaded stem l6 provided upon the opposite reflector of the pair, said last mentioned stem l6 occupyin a hole I! formed in the wall 5 of shaft l0 opposite the hole i5. In assemis a stick or cane comprising a straight shaft bling the parts the two reflectors of each pair are screwed up tight so that they are clamped securely against the opposite sides of the shaft l0.

At its lower end the shaft I0 is provided with a terminal member l8 having an exteriorly 8 threaded end portion l9 adapted to be screwed into the interiorly threaded lower end portion of theshaft Ill. The intermediate portion of the'terminal member l8 forms a finger-grip and outside of this finger-grip is a threaded portion 20' which is also adapted to be screwed into the lower interiorly threaded extremity of the shaft H! as shown in Fig. 2. The threaded portion 20 'is provided with an extension 2| in the form of a spike that is adapted to be driven into the 1 ground so that the cane will of itself stand in an upright position.

When the cane is being used by a pedestrian traveling across or along a roadway at night the terminal member l8 will be mounted within the end of the shaft in as shown in Fig. 2 so that its spike 2| is sheathed within said shaft while its end portion l9 provides a rounded tip for engagement with the ground.

In operating an automobile during the night ,5 time it often happens that it is necessary for the occupant of the car to stop the same alongside of the road and change a tire or perform some other operation requiring him to occupy the roadway within or closely adjacent to the line of traflic. Under such circumstances the operator of a car equipped with my new walking stick or cane sets the terminal member l8 in the position shown in Fig. l and stands the staff or cane in such position close to where he is working that other approaching motorists will observe the reflected colored light projected from the reflectors R and Y and drive past the stepped vehicle with caution. oftentimes it happens that the driver must work opposite the rear end of his car and in such position as to hide the tail light of the latter so that heretofore in the absence of a device such as that above described a motorist approaching from the rear would not be informed of the presence of the car in his path and this fact has resulted in many accidents and fatalities which are obviated by the use of my new device.

As shown in Fig. l of the drawing the reflectors Rare mounted in the shaft ill with the axes of their stems l4 and I6 at right angles to the axes of the stems of the reflectors Y so that the reflectors of the cane are distributed at four sides of its shaft I!) so that approaching opposite sides of the latter, each unit upon one.

side of said shaft having an extension projecting through an aperture of said shaft and engaging with one of the units on the opposite side thereof whereby to fasten said two units to said shaft.

2. A pedestrians portable walking stick of the character described comprising a tubular metallic shaft formed at one end with a laterally extending handle; a terminal member removably mounted within the opposite end of said tubular shaft and formed with a spike adapted to be driven into the ground so as to support the shaft in an upstanding position; a plurality of colored light-reflecting prism units mounted upon the outside of said shaft and relatively arranged in spaced apart relationship lengthwise of said shaft upon opposite sides of the latter, and\ means connecting each unit upon one side of said shaft with one of the units on the opposite side thereof thereby to fasten said units to said shaft, said means extending through apertures formed in the latter.

FLORENCE R. HARTY. 

